Last update 22 March 2024
Please select from the links below:
This page aims to bring together in one place all UK and Irish light rail system operator activity
| System | Identifying system name. Titles in bold, thus, are current and those with a strike through, |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | Links to preceding operator(s) to simplify tracing operator history |
| Run by | The 'front end' limited company (legal entity) running the contract. Dates are given in parentheses where this changed during the contract life. Owing to the complexities of modern light rail schemes where consortia are often contracted to design, build, operate and maintain, no attempt has been made to show any breakdown of shareholders nor any changes to consortia members. In many cases, the system owner is different to the operator; this list does not include ownership details, just operators |
| Dates | The dates for which the particular contract ran. Entries are listed in order of start date. Dates indicate when a contract started or, for the first operator, when the system opened to the public. The UK Department for Transport announced on 24 April 2020 a 12-week funding package back-dated to mid-March (progressively extended to October 2022), applicable to operators marked with a pilcrow (¶), to deal with the issues surrounding a public health epidemic. Those marked with a section sign (§) followed suit in July 2020 with the Scottish government (progressively extended to March 2022). |
| Superseded by | Links to successor operator(s) to simplify tracing operator development |
| Notes | Any other useful or interesting information |
| System | Blackpool Trams |
|---|---|
| Run by | Blackpool Electric Tramway Company (29 September 1885 to 1892) Blackpool Corporation/Blackpool Borough Council (1892 to 20 March 1986) Blackpool Transport Services Ltd (21 March 1986 to date) |
| Dates | 29 September 1885 to date ¶ |
| Notes | All operators are effectively the same, the system has never been tendered |
| System | Glasgow Subway |
| Run by | Glasgow District Subway (14 December 1896 to 1923) Glasgow Corporation (1923 to 1972) Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive (1972 to 1980s) Strathclyde Passenger Transport (1980s to 31 March 2006) Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (from 1 April 2006 to date) |
| Dates | 14 December 1896 to date § |
| Notes | All operators are effectively the same, the system has never been tendered |
| System | |
| Run by | Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive [local authorities] |
| Dates | 11 August 1980 to 31 March 2010 |
| Superseded by | DB Regio Tyne And Wear Ltd |
| System | |
| Run by | London Regional Transport (31 August 1987 to 1992) London Dockland Development Corporation (1992 to April 1997) |
| Dates | 31 August 1987 to April 1997 |
| Superseded by | Serco Docklands Ltd |
| System | |
| Run by | Greater Manchester Metro Ltd |
| Dates | 6 April 1992 to 25 May 1997 |
| Superseded by | Altram (Manchester) Ltd |
| System | |
| Run by | South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd |
| Dates | 21 March 1994 to 18 December 1997 |
| Superseded by | South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd |
| System | |
| Preceded by | London Dockland Development Corporation |
| Run by | Serco Docklands Ltd |
| Dates | April 1997 to April 2004 (original contract) April 2004 to 30 April 2006 (contract extension) |
| Superseded by | Serco Docklands Ltd |
| System | |
| Preceded by | Greater Manchester Metro Ltd |
| Run by | Altram (Manchester) Ltd [Serco] |
| Dates | 26 May 1997 to 14 July 2007 |
| Superseded by | Stagecoach Metrolink Ltd |
| System | |
| Preceded by | South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd |
| Run by | South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd trading as Stagecoach Supertram |
| Dates | 19 December 1997 to 21 March 2024 ¶ |
| Notes | The South Yorkshire Supertram company was sold to the successful bidder as a going concern, rather than the winner setting up a separate legal entity |
| Superseded by | South Yorkshire Future Trams Ltd |
| System | |
| Run by | Altram LRT Ltd [National Express] |
| Dates | 30 May 1999 to 23 June 2018 |
| Superseded by | Midland Metro Ltd |
| System | Croydon Tramlink |
| Run by | Tram Operations Ltd [FirstGroup] |
| Dates | 23 May 2000 to 9 May 2030 (original contract let in 1996 was for 99 years; 2006 annual accounts specify a 30-year contract starting on 10 May 2000) |
| System | |
| Run by | Arrow Light Rail Ltd |
| Dates | 9 March 2004 to 15 December 2011 |
| Superseded by | Nottingham Trams Ltd |
| Notes | Original contract cut short on account of system expansion |
| System | |
| Run by | Veolia Transport Ireland Ltd (to 24 April 2006) Veolia Transport Dublin Light Rail Ltd (25 April 2006 to 4 March 2007) Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd (5 March 2007 to 31 November 2019) |
| Dates | 30 June 2004 to 2009 (original contract) 2009 to 28 September 2014 (new contract award) 29 September 2014 to 31 November 2019 (contract extension) |
| Superseded by | Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd |
| System | |
| Preceded by | Serco Docklands Ltd |
| Run by | Serco Docklands Ltd |
| Dates | 1 May 2006 to April 2013 (original contract) April 2013 to September 2014 (contract extension) September 2014 to 6 December 2014 (contract extension) |
| Superseded by | Keolis Amey Docklands Ltd |
| System | |
| Preceded by | Altram (Manchester) Ltd |
| Run by | Stagecoach Metrolink Ltd (15 July 2007 to 7 August 2011) Metrolink by RATP Dev Ltd (8 August 2011 to 24 August 2011) Metrolink RATP Dev Ltd (25 August 2011 to 14 July 2017) |
| Dates | 15 July 2007 to 14 July 2017 |
| Superseded by | Keolis Amey Metrolink Ltd |
| Notes | The contract was not retendered; Stagecoach sold it on to RATP with effect from 1 August 2011. It took a further week for RATP to rename the company |
| System | |
| Preceded by | Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive |
| Run by | DB Regio Tyne And Wear Ltd |
| Dates | 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2017 (two year extension not exercised) |
| Superseded by | Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive |
| System | Nottingham Express Transit |
| Preceded by | Arrow Light Rail Ltd |
| Run by | Nottingham Trams Ltd [Keolis] |
| Dates | 16 December 2011 to 19 March 2034 ¶ |
| System | Edinburgh Trams |
| Run by | Edinburgh Trams Ltd [Transport for Edinburgh] |
| Dates | 31 May 2014 to date § |
| Notes | Contract was originally awarded to Transdev, this was cancelled long before operations started |
| System | Docklands Light Railway |
| Preceded by | Serco Docklands Ltd |
| Run by | Keolis Amey Docklands Ltd |
| Dates | 7 December 2014 to 14 October 2023 (originally to run to 31 March 2021, extension option taken) 15 October 2023 to 31 March 2025 (contract extension) |
| Superseded by | new Docklands operator |
| System | Tyne & Wear Metro |
| Preceded by | DB Regio Tyne And Wear Ltd |
| Run by | Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive [local authorities] |
| Dates | 1 April 2017 to date ¶ (originally run for two years, now extended indefinitely) |
| System | Manchester Metrolink |
| Preceded by | Metrolink RATP Dev Ltd |
| Run by | Keolis Amey Metrolink Ltd |
| Dates | 15 July 2017 to July 2027 ¶ (extension option from 21 July 2024 taken) |
| System | West Midlands Metro |
| Preceded by | Altram LRT Ltd |
| Run by | Midland Metro Ltd [West Midlands Combined Authority] |
| Dates | 24 June 2018 to 2033 ¶ |
| System | Luas |
| Preceded by | Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd |
| Run by | Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd |
| Dates | 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2025 (option to extend to 2030 only taken to 2026) |
| System | Sheffield Supertram |
| Preceded by | South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd |
| Run by | South Yorkshire Future Trams Ltd |
| Dates | 22 March 2024 to date (expected to run to at least 2029) |
| System | Docklands Light Railway |
| Preceded by | Keolis Amey Docklands Ltd |
| Run by | contract not yet awarded |
| Dates | 1 April 2025 to April 2033 (options for 24 month extension and further 7 month extension) |